Yarn collecting device



Nov. 3, 1964 D. E. FISHER YARN COLLECTING DEVICE Filed July 5, 1963 INVENTOR. D E FISHER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,154,997 YARN (IQLLECTING DEVECE Ben E. Fisher, Pensacola, Fla, assignor to Monsanto Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed .iuiy S, 1%."), Ser. No. 292,919 9 Claims. (Ci. 57-34) This invention relates to yarn packaging devices of the type adapted for use with textile winding and twisting machines, and more particularly relates to a yarn packaging device including a pivotal spool designed to permit winding of heavy denier yarns on textile machinery and removal of yarn collected thereon in hank or skein form for salvage purposes.

Spools used in textile practice to collect the first lengths of processed yarn which may be substandard in quality are referred to as yarn waste spools. Waste spools, for example, are employed on textile drawtwister machines that operatively draw, twist and package yarn such as nylon yarn in one continuous operation.

Drawtwisters, in brief, comprise a frame with multiple yarn drawtwist positions and support members adapted for mounting supply bobbins packaged with yarn thereon. The yarn from each supply bobbin travels to a feed roll assembly driven at one rate of speed and then extends to a draw rollassembly driven at a faster rate of speed for stretching the yarn therebetween. After being drawn or stretched, the yarn travels to a twisting assembly for twisting the drawn yarn before it is finally taken up on a bobbin. Typically, the twisting assembly includes a waste spool for collecting the initial lengths or outer wraps of yarn from the supply bobbin which may have been exposed to light, soiled, or damaged.

In more detail, the conventional twisting assembly comprises a vertically arranged spindle which is driven from its lower end and is free at its upper end. The waste spool referred to above is normally positioned coaxially about the lower end of the spindle and the take-up bobbin for collecting the drawn and twisted yarn is coaxially mounted on the spindle above the waste spool. Both the waste spool and take-up bobbin are driven with the spindle. A reciprocable traverse ring having a traveler guide slidably mounted thereon is concentrically arranged in spaced relation about the take-up bobbin. The yarn in a normal lace-up travels from the draw roll assembly to the traveler guide and extends therefrom to the waste spool. In operation, the reciprocable ring is positioned in the horizontal plane of the waste spool and the first lengths of yarn to be processed are taken up on the waste spool before the traverse ring is operatively reciprocated for winding the yarn onto the take-up bobbin.

In the described arrangement with the waste spool positioned below the take-up bobbin it is necessary in order to remove the yarn from the waste spool to cut or burn 'the yarn therefrom thus rendering the yarn unsuited for market in secondary end uses. In addition, a change of waste spools requires removal of the bobbin mounted above the spool from the spindle. Another problem is encountered during operation, particularly in the processing of heavy denier yarns. In the start-up of a drawtwisting operation, the spindle of the twisting assembly is brought up to speed before the yarn is delivered thereto from the draw roll assembly. At the moment the yarn is delivered from the draw roll assembly the yarn has a tendency to balloon around the free end of the spindle while traveling to the waste spool positioned below the take-up bobbin for reasons believed to be related to delivery and take-up speeds of the yarn as well as to the high mass of the yarn. When the yarn balloons 'as described above, the process is disadvantageously interrupted. Heavy denier yarns as referred to herein are 3,1543%? Patented Nov. 3, 1964 filament yarns such as nylon yarns having a yarn count of 1000 denier and above.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a yarn packaging device including a bobbin adapted to be driven at one end and having a pivotal removable spool anchored at its opposite end.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pivotal spool adapted for winding of filamentary materials thereon and the removal of the materials in skein or hank form therefrom.

A further object is to provide a yarn twister device including a pivotal waste spool.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

According to a preferred construction, the yarn packaging device embodying the invention comprises a tubular member for packaging yarn thereon adapted to be driven at one end and to carry a pivotal spool at its opposite end. The pivotal spool has a pair of juxtaposed semi-cylindrical members pivotally connected intermediate their ends by suitable hinge means. The semi-cylindrical members are relieved at one end thereof to allow the members to pivot. Resilient means secured to the semi-cylindrical members serve to nip the end of a yarn and to bias the relieved ends of the semi-cylindrical members toward each other. The pivotal spool is preferably constructed to be removable from the bobbin and is designed for the collecting of yarn thereon.

Reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawing will provide a better understanding of the invention.

In the drawing:

FEGURE 1 is a perspective view of the waste spool embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the waste spool shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing the waste spool in a pivoted position for removing yarn in skein form therefrom; and I FIGURE 4 is an elevation view showing an arrangement of a yarn twister device with the novel waste spool incorporated therewith.

Referring to the drawing, FIGURES 1-3, the novel waste spool 1 is illustrated in the form of a sleeve which is the construction most suitable from an economy and operational standpoint although it will be understood that the components of the Waste spool could be solid in construction.

Waste spool 1 comprises *a sleeve diametrically split to provide a pair of juxtaposed semi-cylindrical members 2 and 3, which are pivotally connected therebetween and intermediate their ends by a hinge 4. Hinge 4 is of the type having a pair of U-shaped braces 5 each secured to the inner surface of a respective semi-cylindrical member in symmetrical positions thereon with the free ends of the braces 5 being bent from the normal radius so that those of one brace overlap in relation to the other. A pin 6 is journaled within suitable holes in the ends of braces 5. Members 2 and 3, preferably, are secured to hinge 4 so as to be slightly spaced from each other and a strip of resilient material 7 is bonded to each member along the juxtaposed sides thereof below the fulcrum point and intermediate the ends thereof.

To permitthe semi-cylindrical members 2 and 3 to be pivoted toward each other the upper end of the members are relieved or cut away. Preferably, each member 2 and 3 has a tapered portion 8; each tapered portion 8 extending from adjacent the fulcrum point outwardly toward the end of each semi-cylindrical member so that the tapered portions 8 together provide a pair of oppositely arranged V-shaped slots.

in application, waste spool l is adapted particularly for use with a textile yarn twister device 9 as illustrated in FIGURE 4. Device 9 has a vertically positioned spindle 16 which is driven at its lower end by a conventionally driven belt 11 positioned within a. whirl 12. coaxialiy mounted on spindle 10. A bobbin 13 is mounted coaxially about the spindle and is driven therewith. A reciprocable traverse ring 14 driven by conventional drive means, not shown, concentrically surrounds the spindle 1t? and a traveler guide is slidably mounted on the ring 14.

The pivotal waste spool 1 is mounted within a bore 16 formed in bobbin 13. A shoulder 17 formed between two different wall dimensions of bore 16 serves to limit the lower positioning of the waste spool 1 within the bore. Shoulder 17 is formed a predetermined distance within the bore to permit the lower end of spool 1 to contact shoulder 17 while the relieved ends of the semi-cylindrical members 2 and 3 project openly above the end of bobbin 13. The dimensions of bore 16 and of spool 1 should be related so that the semi-cylindrical members 2 and 3 will be biased against the wall of bore 16 by the resilient strips 7 to position the spool firmly within the bore 16.

In operation, the reciprocable ring 14 is moved in a plane coincident with the relieved end of Waste spool 1 as shown in FIGURE 4, and a yarn 18 normally extended from such as a feed and draw assembly of a drawtwister is laced through the traveler guide 15 and placed between resilient strips 7 of the semi-cylindrical members 2 and 3 of the waste spool 1 to nip the yarn end therebetween. Spool 1 is then inserted within bobbin bore 16 so that the spool 1 contacts the shoulder 17 and the relieved end of the spool projects from bobbin 13. Spindle 10 is then operatively driven and subsequently at a predetermined time the yarn 18 is delievered to the waste spool 1 from the draw roll assembly of the drawtwister and is collected around the relieved end of the spool. When a desired amount of the initial substandard yarn has sufficiently been taken up on spool 1, the reciprocable traverse ring 14 is operatively moved downwardly away from waste spool 1 and the yarn 18 then begins to wind around bobbin 13 by normal operation of traveler guide 15 and ring 14. 7

In the use of the conventional twister assembly having a waste spool located below the bobbin where heavy yarn count nylon yarn of approximately 4000 denier was drawtwisted at collection speeds of 500 yards per minute and above, the heavy denier yarn at the moment of delivery to the twister assembly ballooned around the spindle of the twister assembly and prevented successful collection.

But, when the same yarn delivered at the same speeds was processed on a twister arrangement incorporating the novel waste spool 1 positioned at the upper end of the bobbin as shown in FIG. 4, the yarn was successfully processed.

After a yarn package is formed on bobbin 13 the traverse ring 14 is stopped, delivery of the yarn is delayed, and waste spool 1 is removed from bobbin 13, preferably, by taking hold of the pivot pin 6 and pulling waste spool 1 outwardly therefrom. That portion of the yarn 18 extending from waste spool 1 to bobbin 13 is cut and the end forms a transfer tail for bobbin 13. Waste spool 1 is then pivoted by bringing the relieved portions together thus removing the tension from the yarn and causing the yarn wound thereabout to be readily slipped from the spool 1 in skein form.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described without departing from the spirit thereof and that limitations are not contemplated except as defined by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A pivotal spool comprising:

(a) a pair of juxtaposed members adapted for mounting at one end thereof and for collecting yarn at the opposite end thereof,

(b) at least one of said pair of juxtaposed members being relieved at the yarn collecting end thereof, and

(c) hinge means pivotally connecting said pair of juxtaposed members intermediate the ends thereof.

2. A pivotal spool as in claim 1 further comprising, biasing means mounted on and positioned between and intermediate the ends of said pair of juxtaposed members for biasing said members away from each other.

3. A pivotal spool comprising:

(a) a pair of elongated juxtaposed members adapted for mounting at one end thereof and for collecting yarn at the opposite end thereof,

(b) hinge means pivotally connecting said pair of elongated juxtaposed members intermediate the ends thereof,

(c) each of said pair of elongated juxtaposed members having a relieved portion at the yarn collecting end thereof arranged complementary to each other, and

(d) resilient biasing means secured on and positioned between and intermediate the ends of said pair of elongated juxtaposed members for biasing said pair of elongated juxtaposed members away from each other.

4. A pivotal spool as in claim 3, wherein each of said pair of elongated juxtaposed members are semi-cylindrical.

5. A pivotal spool as in claim 3, wherein said resilient biasing means comprises a plurality of resilient strips.

6. A pivotal spool comprising:

(a) a pair of juxtaposed semi-cylindrical members adapted for mounting at one end thereof and for collecting yarn at the opposite end thereof,

(b) hinge means pivotally connecting said pair of juxtaposed semi-cylindrical members intermediate the ends thereof and in spaced relation therebetween,

(0) each of said pair of juxtaposed semi-cylindrical members having a relieved portion at the yarn collecting end thereof arranged complementary to each other, and

(d) resilient biasing means secured on and positioned between and intermediate the ends of said pair of juxtaposed semi-cylindrical members for biasing said pair of juxtaposed semi-cylindrical members away from each other.

7. A yarn packaging device comprising in combination:

(a) a pivotal spool,

(b) a member for forming a yarn package therearound provided with means at one end thereof for connection to a driving means and receiving means at its opposite end thereof for receiving said pivotal spool,

(c) said pivotal spool including a pair of juxtaposed semi-cylindrical members being pivotally connected therebetween and having one end thereof adapted for mounting within said receiving means of said member and for collecting yarn at its opposite end,

(d) hinge means pivotally connecting said pair of juxtaposed semi-cylindrical members,

(e) recess means formed in said pair of juxtaposed semi-cylindrical members at the yarn collecting end thereof,

( said yarn collecting end of said pair of juxtaposed semi-cylindrical members normally projecting outwardly from said member, and

(g) resilient biasing means secured on and positioned between and intermediate the ends of said pair of juxtaposed semi-cylindrical members for biasing said pair of juxtaposed semi-cylindrical members against said receiving means of said member to lock said spool therein.

8. A yarn packaging device as in claim 7, wherein said member comprises a bobbin.

9. A yarn twister device comprising in combination:

(a) a spindle operatively driven at one end thereof,

(b) a bobbin for forming a yarn package therearound mounted coaxially about said spindle and provided with receiving means,

(c) a spool including a pair of juxtaposed semi-cylindrical members being pivotally connected therebetween and having one end thereof adapted for mounting within said receiving means of said bobbin and for collecting yarn at the opposite end thereof,

(d) hinge means pivotally connecting said pair of juxtapcsed semi-cylindrical members,

(2) recess means formed in said semi-cylindrical members at the yarn collecting ends thereof,

(1) said yarn collecting ends of said pair of juxtaposed semi-cylindrical members normally projecting outwardly from said bobbin,

(g) means on said pair of juxtaposed semi-cylindrical members for securely anchoring said spool Within said receiving means of said bobbin,

(h) a spaced reciprocable ring arranged coaXially about said spindle,

(i) a traveler guide mounted slidably on said reciprocable ring, and

(j) the yarn normally traveling from said traveler guide to said pivotal spool for Winding a predetermined amount of yarn therearound prior to Winding the yarn on the bobbin.

References Eliteal in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,260,452 Hart Oct. 28, 1941 2,625,334 Ewing et a1 Jan. 13, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 391,395 Great Britain Apr. 27, 1933 

7. A YARN PACKAGING DEVICE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A PIVOTAL SPOOL, (B) A MEMBER FOR FORMING A YARN PACKAGE THEREAROUND PROVIDED WITH MEANS AT ONE END THEREOF FOR CONNECTION TO A DRIVING MEANS AND RECEIVING MEANS AT ITS OPPOSITE END THEREOF FOR RECEIVING SAID PIVOTAL SPOOL, (C) SAID PIVOTAL SPOOL INCLUDING A PAIR OF JUXTAPOSED SEMI-CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED THEREBETWEEN AND HAVING ONE END THEREOF ADAPTED FOR MOUNTING WITHIN SAID RECEIVING MEANS OF SAID MEMBER AND FOR COLLECTING YARN AT ITS OPPOSITE END, (D) HINGE MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID PAIR OF JUXTAPOSED SEMI-CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS, (E) RECESS MEANS FORMED IN SAID PAIR OF JUXTAPOSED SEMI-CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS AT THE YARN COLLECTING END THEREOF, (F) SAID YARN COLLECTING END OF SAID PAIR OF JUXTAPOSED SEMI-CYLINDRICAL MEMBERS NORMALLY PROJECTING OUT- 